Top websites for going green

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If you’re looking to make more environmentally conscious decisions, you can thank Al Gore and his Internet for a slew of resources to help you out.

TreeHugger: A sustainability site with a hipster ethos, TreeHugger strives to be a “one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information.” Topics include Cars + Transportation, Design + Architecture, Fashion + Beauty and Food + Health. The How to Go Green section is particularly useful if you’re looking for tips to make your life greener.

EcoGeek: “Science, technology gadgets and…baby seals.” If you want to know about the latest designs for solar-powered laptops, you’ve come to the right place. EcoGeek also covers automobile technology, biofuels, wind power and a host of other topics.

Green Business: A subscription-only site, Green Business bills itself as “an online Community for eco entrepreneurs,” a place where like-minded people meet online to exchange tips and ideas. Green Business says its site is for:

• Angel investors in search of socially responsible ventures
• Entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses
• Journalists looking for interesting ideas
• Marketing firms and PR representatives
• Entrepreneurs looking to start a new business
• Professionals looking for employment

The $12 monthly subscription to the site gives users access to a number of forums for users, including a Barter Board for the exchange of goods and services, a Funding Board for businesses looking to get off the ground, and a Projects Board where members can submit projects for bid.

EcoSherpa is committed to “realistic, responsible living.” The site stresses moderation.

Extremism simply won’t work on a large scale. As important as sustainable practices are these days, they still need to be made appealing for the masses – ‘fun’, ‘achievable’, ‘fascinating’, ‘profitable’, ‘cool’ – these are just some of the words we want people to associate with the green movement. Serving up environmentalism with a hefty side order of ‘doom and gloom’, or making these necessary changes seem impossible or undesirable just isn’t the best way to go!

The site covers Green Living, Eco Travel, Green Construction and Product Reviews, among other topics. A good place to browse if you want to add a little green to your life.

AutoblogGreen: If cars, environmentally friendly or not, this is the place to be. The site covers car shows, including hybrids, car manufacturers, biodiesel fuels, solar power, manufacturing facilities … In short, just about everything concerning cars, the engines that drive them and the fuel that runs them.

Daily Economy Fuel Tip: With gas prices seeming to shoot up daily, everyone can use tips on saving gas. The site’s topics include Alternative Fuels, Car Maintenance, Common Sense, Driving Habits, Fuel Efficient Vehicles and Gas Saving Innovations. See “Why Your Grandma Gets Better Gas Mileage Than You” for an idea of the flavor of the site.

Eco-Chick: “Because Mother Nature was a woman,” Eco-Chick strives not to be a typical environmental blog that caters to men or moms. “It was either diatribes about peak oil or recipes on how to make organic baby food. When all the rest of us want to know is: Where can I get a fair trade spanking paddle?”

Eco-Chick covers all the usual topics, plus fashion and beauty. After all there’s more to being green than swirly light bulbs and solar energy. If you’re interested in clothes made from organic fibers or fair trade materials, you’ve come to the right place.

Green Options: This web portal lives up to its name, offering readers tips on making their life greener with a side order of news and green business and technology options. Green Options offers a network of environmentally aware blog that focus on different aspects of living green; you can get green recipes, resources for green business planning and information on the latest green technology.

Yahoo! Green: A fantastic resource for living a green lifestyle, Yahoo! Green links to articles in a variety of topics from Green Home to Green Living to Global Warming. The Make a plan tab shows you how you can reduce CO₂ emissions room-by-room in your home. Click on the “Make a Plan” button and you’ll see the impact of even minor changes, like switching three lights that you use for four hours a day to compact fluorescent bulbs. Little things that are easily achievable.

Freecycle: Do you have stuff you don’t need? Do you need stuff you don’t have? Freecycle is a global grassroots movement of people who give, and get, stuff for free in their own towns. Its mission is to reuse items and keep them out of landfills. Membership is free. It’s a great way to declutter your house and give perfectly good stuff a new life and a loving home.

Lighter Footsteps: Devoted to personal approaches to Green Living, Lighter Footsteps has tons of tips for making your home and office greener. They’ve got articles on How to live with CFLs, those swirly lightbulbs that save energy; on 12 products to avoid like the plague if you’re interested in sustainability; and on reducing consumption step by step. In short, Lighter Footsteps offers practical advice on how to live green.

(Photo via flickr cc)

Tags: Society //